


the breaking point

by queenvenus



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, they're just teens okay give them a break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-27 04:19:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18296711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenvenus/pseuds/queenvenus
Summary: being a superhero comes with its setbacks, they just never really noticed it until now.





	the breaking point

She’s keeping something from him. Chat Noir had noticed it a couple of days ago, after wrapping up their nightly patrol. He had bid her goodnight, pressing a delicate kiss to her knuckles, and when Chat Noir straightened up, there was a strange look in Ladybug’s eyes.

“My lady?” he asked, eyebrows furrowing. “Are you okay?”

And just like that, it was gone.

“I’m fine, kitty.” she smiled at him, and that smile made goosebumps break across his skin. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”  Ladybug winked at him, ever a vision of loveliness, and pulled out her yo-yo. “Goodnight, Chat Noir. Get home safe.” she pulled herself through the air, a blur of red against the busy backdrop of Paris, and she was gone.

At first, Chat Noir believed her. The next day she appeared to be her usual self, confident and charming as they saved yet another person from Hawk Moth’s clutches. Once the butterfly had been purified, and Ladybug’s Lucky Charm had fixed the damage done to the city, Chat Noir revealed in another victory.

“Another flawless win as always, love.” he purrs at her, and Ladybug rolls her eyes, trying not to smile.

“Well, how could I lose with a partner like you?” she retorts, fluttering her eyelashes at him, and full out grins at the blush rising to his face. It was just too easy to get Chat Noir flustered, especially when it came to her flirting with him.

He’s about to say something, when Ladybug turns and her face grows white.

So caught up in their banter, Chat Noir didn’t see the victim Hawk Moth had akumatized. He follows Ladybug’s gaze, and his breath catches in his throat.

A little girl, barely seven years old, is staring up at him. Her eyes are big and much too sad for a child her age. The fear and the shock is still evident on her face, her hands clasped in front of her as she wrings her fingers together.

“Ladybug?” the little girl whispers, bottom lip trembling. Her eyes are pooling with tears. Chat Noir’s heart is twisting inside his chest.

Ladybug kneels down and gently takes the little girl’s hands. She smiles, radiant and calm. On the surface, nothing looks out of the ordinary.

“Hello, sweetie. Don’t you worry, okay? We’re here to help…”

 

After the girl is taken home, in much happier spirits, Ladybug and Chat Noir take their leave. Her parents are overwhelmed with gratitude, and they can’t thank the superheroes enough. The mood has shifted, and by the time the moon comes out, both of them are exhausted. Chat Noir can see, even with her smile, that his partner is bothered.

“Is everything okay, Ladybug?”

Ladybug, eyes to the clouds, gives him a gentle smile. “I’m fine, it’s just been a long day.” She then turns to meet his gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I just can’t help but admire your beauty.” Chat Noir responds, and Ladybug shakes her head.

“Goodbye, kitty. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She prepares to leave, but a hand on her shoulder stops her.

“Ladybug.” Chat Noir’s green eyes are boring into hers, and it roots Ladybug to the spot. “Are you sure you’re alright? I mean…you’d tell me if something was bothering you, right?”

Ladybug’s gaze softens and she moves, lightning quick, to press a soft peck to his cheek.

“Of course I would.” she says. Chat Noir blinks, completely surprised, and tries to steady the gallop of his heart. Ladybug leaves, and Chat Noir is left staring as her form grows smaller in the distance. Part of Chat Noir wants to believe that Ladybug trusted him enough to share her feelings, whatever they might be.

Another part of him, however, whispers that she might be lying.

 

  
It’s late, as in, ridiculously late, at night when Chat Noir spots Ladybug. He’s going to regret this in the morning when he can’t pull himself out of bed to go to school. But sometimes his house and his room is just too big and empty to sleep in properly. He wants comfort and warmth, seeks it like a moth seeks fire. How long had it been since Chat Noir had anything close to intimacy? The thought of Ladybug comforting him in such a way, with a hug or even a kiss, drives him crazy. He can’t help but picture her carding her fingers through his hair, and the notion is so maddening that Chat Noir leaves his room, just for a minute, to get some air.

Paris at night is quiet, with moonlight spilling across the streets. The stars are watching as he goes leaping from building to building. The rush of it is familiar, and it takes his mind off his own worries. Chat Noir pauses to take a breath, and wipes his hair away from his forehead.

That’s when he spots her.

He can see Ladybug’s bright red costume, oddly stark against the night. It was strange how bright her costume was, yet she managed to conceal herself completely when faced with a late-night Akuma attack. What was she doing out here, and so late at night? Chat Noir knew very well that Ladybug could take care of herself. She was strong and intelligent, and she could throw a pretty mean punch when it came down to it.

Still, Chat Noir can’t help but worry, and takes another breath before leaping soundlessly towards her. She’s standing completely still, eyes to the moon. It didn’t seem normal for her to just stand in the middle of the road, especially this late. Perhaps she was hurt? Did Hawk Moth get to her somehow?

“Ladybug?” Chat Noir’s voice is soft, and Ladybug jumps just slightly, swerving around quickly.

“Oh!” Ladybug gasps, pressing a hand to her throat. “Chat Noir! W-What are you doing here?”

“I could be asking you that.” Chat Noir steps closer to her, giving her a lopsided smirk. “It’s awfully late.”

Ladybug shrugs, and her eyes flicker to the ground. “I guess I just couldn’t sleep.” she says.

“Is everything alright?”

“You already asked me that.” Ladybug still won’t look at him, and there’s a strange edge to her voice.

“I think it bears repeating.” Chat Noir dips his head, trying to catch her eyes. “You can tell me, y’know.”

“I know, chaton.”

That pet name makes something hot crawl across his skin. It’s delightful, the way she says it. But Chat Noir pushes away those feelings to focus on the matter at hand.

“Ladybug,” Chat Noir expels a sigh, but it’s not one of irritation. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Silence looms over the two of them, the minutes tick by without a response, and Chat Noir begins to think that she won’t answer him. Even in the dark, Chat Noir can catch her expression. It’s closed off, for just a minute. But the sadness washes in slowly, like the rising dawn.

“I’m just tired, Chat Noir.” Ladybug whispers. “I have a lot on my mind.”

“Like what?”

Ladybug shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

“Is it about that little girl?”

Ladybug looks up at him, her mouth dropping open in shock. Her eyebrows are furrowed, and there’s a glistening in her eyes that has nothing to do with the moonlight or the stars.

“I saw your face.” Chat Noir continues. “What happened to her upset you, didn’t it?”

Ladybug places a hand over her face, shoulders bunched, her movements quick and jerky. She doesn’t answer for another moment, until finally, she heaves a sigh.

“It’s just--she’s a _child_ , Chat!” her voice cracks, and Ladybug closes within herself, turning her head so he won’t see her tears. “It isn’t fair!”

Chat Noir nods, that painful clench in his chest from earlier had returned.

“I mean, I get it, alright?” Ladybug says, and now she’s angry. “I _know_ Hawk Moth is evil, I _know_ this is what he does but...but...this is just going too far! How could he do something so horrible, to a kid?! Kids shouldn’t go through something like that!” Ladybug stomps her foot, a childish action that she can’t control. “Nothing we do is working, Chat Noir. It seems like we’ll never stop him! We haven’t gotten _one_ step closer to stopping him.” Ladybug sucks in a breath, and it sounds like she’s drowning. “What’s the point, kitty? What’s the point in doing this if we can’t even protect a little girl?”

For once, Chat Noir is at a loss for words. He’s never seen this side of her, and it shakes him more than he’d like to admit. Ladybug was just so confident and sure of herself. He knew she had her doubts, but it was hard to fully realize that when she seemed so brazen, so bold like the sun. Now, with her defenses down and tears in her eyes, Ladybug looks anything but. She looks slight and small, a fragile thing.

A kid.

Chat Noir doesn’t hesitate to pull her to him, and he hugs her tight. He can feel her shuddering with sobs, and the knife in his heart twists painfully. Hearing her cry is enough to unravel his own emotions, like a thread cut loose and fraying at the ends. Ladybug doesn’t push him away, instead she returns the gesture and embraces him as tight as she can, fingers grasping at his back, clutching at the material of his suit.

Chat Noir swallows, wracking his brain for something, anything.

“I know this is hard, Ladybug.” he whispers, voice soft in her ear. “What happened earlier got to me too, but...but this is part of the job.” he hates the way that sounds, but there’s no sugarcoating it. Doing so would only make Ladybug more upset. “You’re right, it isn’t fair. It’s unfair and it sucks, and some days it feels like we’re going in circles. Sometimes I wonder if any of this is worth anything.” he grips Ladybug a little tighter, sighing into her neck. “But we saved her, Ladybug. We got her home. That was us, _we_ did that. And if we can save her, than we can save the others. This won’t be the last time Hawk Moth is going to use a child for his advantage, but we’ll be there to stop him every time.” he rubs her back lightly, feeling her shiver beneath his touch.

Chat Noir pulls away, as much as it pains him to do so. “If he’s the source of a child’s fear, don’t you think the both of us are the source of a child’s happiness?”

Ladybug looks up at him, and he can tell that the notion never even occurred to her. Her eyelashes are still dewy with tears, but she’s no longer crying.

“I guess.” Ladybug whispers, a small rasp in her voice.

“Don’t be discouraged, my lady, not yet.” Chat Noir strokes the side of her face. “We can do this, one step at a time.”

Ladybug blinks, and maybe it’s just the shadows of the night, but Chat Noir can’t help but think her face is dusted a rosy pink. Ladybug’s shoulders relax, and she gives him just the barest of smiles.

“Thank you, chaton. Really.” she wants to say more, Chat Noir can see it on her face, but her earrings beep, startling them both.

“I should go.” Ladybug says, and she doesn’t attempt to hide her disappointment. Chat Noir bows at the hip and takes her hand. He presses a kiss to her fingers.

“Be safe, my lady.” he tells her, and she nods. Her smile is much more put together than before. They part ways, both waving goodbye, and the two superheroes disappear.

Chat Noir falls asleep and his house doesn’t seem so big after all.

Ladybug buries herself under her covers, and something inside of her is growing back in place.

**Author's Note:**

> boy do i love me some angst when it comes to these two. please tell me what you think! thank you for reading!


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